


Tsukuyomi

by kanna666summon



Category: Naruto
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Drama & Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hatake Kakashi-centric, M/M, Mystery, Pretty Kakashi, Rating May Change, Self-Indulgent, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2020-05-15 08:04:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19291654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kanna666summon/pseuds/kanna666summon
Summary: Kakashi the prodigy gets into his dream college in Tokyo at the tender age of sixteen and finally steps away from his reclusive lifestyle to experience independent living. College life is everything he thought it would beanda little more as he meets new friends and gets wrapped up in a barrage of social activity.Then one fateful day, the man of his dreams (literally, Kakashi has been dreaming about a boy with that exact face for years now) takes physical shape in one Obito Uchiha and Kakashi is thrown for a loop as he desperately tries to grasp the distinction between dreams and reality.





	1. Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATE: THIS WORK HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED!  
> I'm so sorry to those of you who enjoyed it and were looking forward to an update, but I just don't see this fic going anywhere.   
> Really, really sorry!
> 
> Just to clarify, Kakashi is sixteen years old at the beginning of this story. He is a recluse living with his dad and doesn't have many friends but hopefully, that will change, hm? ;)
> 
> There are no major warnings for this chapter. Enjoy!

> 

Kakashi jolts awake, cringing both from the vivid nightmare and the cold sweat that coats his back. He yanks his medical mask down, breathing heavily whilst observing his surroundings, his blurry vision slowly focusing on the closet, the lamp, the desk…

Where was he?

He sniffs as he looked at his surroundings and slowly breathes a sigh of relief as his memories come flooding back.

The room is small, but stylishly minimalistic, his single bed against the left wall while a set of glass doors leading to a modest balcony allows the dawn to seep through the curtains. Pictures of him, _Tou-san_ and his dogs are decorated along the beige walls, strung up by the pink fairy lights that Anko had gotten him for his fourteenth birthday as an ironic present. His desk is simple and his bookshelf lined with numerous books on medicine, history and a smattering of self-indulgent steamy romance novels his father had somewhat reluctantly allowed him to purchase.

Kakashi sweeps away the white duvet and slips into his bedroom slippers, heading to the bathroom to wash up. It is a chilly morning, and he shivers as he sniffs again, cursing his weak immune system.

Picking up his toothbrush and toothpaste, he eyes his appearance in the mirror.

Fluffy, wild snowy hair he had inherited from his dad, pale, clear skin and a set of onyx eyes, framed with long lashes Anko once said she would kill for (she probably wasn’t kidding). His nose is petite, and his lips are a delicate shade of girly pink. _Tou-san_ had always said he resembled his mother more, and they both shared having a beauty mark (though hers was below her left eye) (he had seen it in pictures many times, wishing he could have had the chance to speak with her, at least once).

As he brushes his teeth and washes his face, bloodied faces and lifeless eyes from the dream haunt him. A pair of sweet brown eyes widened in pain, another a bright ruby red with an odd-looking, circular pattern decorated by what looked like _commas_ of all things, and a pair so blue they seemed to reflect the sky.

His dreams always featured them. Ever since he'd had been a young boy, he was plagued constantly with strange dreams of a world that seemed so far away, by friends he had never met. Sometimes it ends in tragedy and death, but sometimes they are kinder and he dreams of happy smiles, laughter and warmth.

Perhaps they had been friends from a past life. While he isn't superstitious (not by any means), he can only hope that they remain dreams and not something else.

Nevertheless, he has tried sleeping pills, counting sheep, even seen a school therapist in secret on what those dreams might mean for his mental psyche. Dr Fujiwara was just as confused, unable to decipher such vivid, repetitive occurrences. His best advice had been to offer a written referral to the local hospital’s mental ward for a thorough examination.

Well, he had thrown the idea and the letter into the trash without blinking and never went back again. It was just as well that _Tou-san_ was not informed of these visits, he would have had an aneurysm and fussed even more than he already did over Kakashi's health. Sakumo thought the nightmares ended when he was eight, Kakashi deciding to keep it that way so as not to worry him any further.

By his thirteenth birthday, Kakashi had given up and accepted these strange dreams as part of his life.

They were just dreams, after all.

 

 

 

>

“Good morning, _Tou-san_ ,” Kakashi greets, blowing his nose. 

Hatake Sakumo turns, a bright smile on his face. Kakashi wonders how his dad still manages to get up at 5:00 AM sharp every morning without the help of an alarm clock, even after retiring from the military.

Most of their family friends (Sakumo's fellow veterans from the military) had eased into a civilian lifestyle, enjoying the freedom that they now had. It was probably drilled into Sakumo, and his father was no ordinary veteran (he had been a fearsome captain and marksman in the elite battalion) but Kakashi concedes that it  _is_ a useful habit that benefits the both of them.

Thanks to his _Tou-san's_ constant early mornings, he has never been late for school. Ever.

“Morning, Kakashi. Would you prefer rice or _natto_ this morning?”

“Rice with miso soup, please.”

“Sure thing, kiddo.” Sakumo ruffles Kakashi’s hair and turns back to the stove. “That cold of yours getting better?”

Kakashi chucks the dirty piece of tissue into the trash, washing his hands and taking his seat at their dining table. He sighs and gave Pakkun a loving scratch behind the ears, watching in amusement as the pug thumps its little feet in happiness.

“I think so. I’m sick of being… well, _sick_.” Kakashi mumbles and Sakumo laughs at the unintended pun while ladling hot soup into Kakashi’s favourite bowl. “Not funny, _Tou-san_. I’m also about to lose my mind waiting for that stupid letter.”

“Ah, yes. Well, I think you'll be pleased to know that something arrived for you in the mail today, though we should probably have breakfast first—” Before his father finishes his sentence, Kakashi jolts up, eyes wide.

Sakumo pauses and places the bowl on the table, careful not to spill the soup. He seems frustrated at himself for the slip of the tongue and that there 's no way Kakashi is going to be able to eat now.

As predicted, the silver-haired teen rushes to the living room, nearly tripping over Bisuke as he lunges for the thick, brown envelope that sits waiting on their coffee table. The dogs yip excitedly as they gather in the living room to observe him, curious.

Kakashi rips the fold open and slides out the elegant letter paper slowly, almost not daring to breathe.

Sakumo stands behind him, wiping his hands down on his brown apron and eyes his son warily.

“Now, Kakashi. Remember that no matter what happens I’ll _always_ be proud of you,” Sakumo starts, but Kakashi has already slipped the letter out and begins reading, his eyes darting rapidly from line to line.

 

 

 

> 

_Dear Mr Hatake Kakashi,_

_Congratulations!_

_We would like to inform you of your successful application to Tokyo University’s **Veterinary Medical Sciences programme** , under the Director’s Scholarship. _

_The University has acknowledged your outstanding results on the entrance exams and wishes to highlight the benefits and conditions of undertaking the proffered scholarship in the student handbook attached._

_Note that the following registration steps must be completed online via our student portal…_

 

 

 

> 

“Kakashi?” Sakumo shakes his son gently, a worried frown creasing his features. “What does it say?”

The dogs whine, sensing their owner’s distress. Pakkun hops onto Kakashi’s lap and begins licking the teenager’s chin eagerly. It jolts Kakashi back into focus and he turns to his father, mouth gaping open behind the thin paper mask as he struggles to put thoughts into words.

The room is silent and there is some angry honking from the road below accompanied by pedestrians yelling.

And then Kakashi speaks.

“I… I got in.” He blurts out, eyes wide.

He offers the letter to his father with a shaky hand.

“Please read it and tell me I’m not hallucinating.”

Sakumo slips on his reading glasses and clears his throat loudly, the lenses hiding none of the excitement in his eyes as he mirrors his son’s earlier actions, reading each line, then re-reading them again, just to be sure.

“You did,” Sakumo confirmed after a minute (which feels like an eternity), exhaling shakily as he sets the letter down gently back onto the table. Father and son stare at each other in silence, as if afraid to speak first, afraid that this was just a dream.

Finally, Sakumo cracks.

“Kakashi… you’re going to college!” He declares, overjoyed. If only Kagome were here, Sakumo had no doubt that she would have been so, so proud. She had unfortunately passed away in childbirth, but there was no doubt in Sakumo’s heart that she would never _ever_ regret bringing their beautiful son into the world.

“ _Tou-san_ …” Kakashi whispers, feeling happy tears burn the corners of his eyes, and he stretches his arms out towards his father.

Sakumo immediately sweeps his son into his arms, bursting out laughing as he lifts Kakashi to his feet. His son had wanted this for so long. They spin in circles round and round the living room, now both laughing as the dogs circle them, barking in excitement.

Kakashi had put his foot in the door, one step closer to realising his ambition. Ever since he had been a little boy, his son had always wanted to help animals (Sakumo’s love for dogs being a key contributor to this) and aspired to open his very own  _Hatake_  veterinary clinic.

As they continue their joyous celebration, Sakumo ponders how blessed they are to have a house and not an apartment. Having ten rowdy dogs is no small feat after all and it was always best to avoid angry neighbours.

“I’m so _proud_ of you, Kakashi. You really did it. Sixteen and going off to college… seems like only yesterday you were a little baby and wetting the bed—”

“ _Tou-san!_ ” Kakashi exclaims indignantly, his cheeks flaring red. “Can we celebrate _without_ the embarrassing flashbacks, please?”

Sakumo just laughs again, tousling his son’s hair and giving him a loud, obnoxious kiss on the cheek. His grip is firm like iron on the wriggling boy trying to squirm away.

“I’m your father, Kakashi. It’s practically my _job_ to embarrass you.” Sakumo chuckles but nevertheless letting go and reaching for his smartphone. “How does dinner tonight at _Harijyu_ sound? We’ll go to the one at Daihoji. Pretty sure I can nag Yoshida into getting us a last-minute table…”

As Sakumo goes about planning their celebratory dinner, Kakashi flops onto the soft beanbag by the window, reaching for his laptop and the student manual. He is eager to get started on the registration process as soon as possible, still a little afraid that he's dreaming.

 

 

 

>

Ten minutes pass and he has confirmed his email address and received his new student identification number from the school's online student portal.

Kakashi then decides to break the news to Anko, his best friend and well, only friend, actually. Despite being three years his senior, she is one of the few people Kakashi feels completely at ease with. Her having moved to Hong Kong to complete her degree in Chinese Medicine only cemented their friendship more, Kakashi realising just how much he missed her.

He taps away on his phone while Pakkun nuzzles into his sweater, cosying up.  


>>>  
MONDAY, MARCH 11TH

(08:43): _Are you awake yet?_  
  
(08:44): **yea sup**  
  
(08:44): **i have class in 30mins and im hungover af pls kill me now**  
  
(08:44): _Why am I not surprised…_  
  
(08:45): **shut up brat**  
  
(08:45): **srsly tho whats up???**

(08:45): _I have news. Big news._

(08:45): **did you finally get laid**

(08:46): _No!!!!!!!_

(08:46): **hahaha jk**

(08:46): **u dont even go out except to walk the dogs with ur dad**

(08:46): **little daddys boy kakashi**

(08:46): _I am not._

(08:46): **yes u are**

(08:46): **doesnt he still kiss u goodnight**

(08:47): _And your point is?_

(08:47): **ur sixteen**

(08:47): _…_

(08:47): **yea**

(08:47): _Anyway! News._

(08:47): **ooo yes spill**

(08:48): _I got into Tokyo U. I’m starting my term end April._

(08:48): **well fuck me sideways and upside down**

(08:48): **congrats!!!!!!**   **i knew u could do it!!!! smart little bastard fucking up the bell curve n shit**

(08:48): _Thank you. Daddy was also overjoyed._

(08:48): _*Dad!_

(08:48): _Fuck. That was autocorrected, I swear._

(08:49): **LOL**

(08:49): **how r u guys gonna celebrate**

(08:49): **u better be partying hard tonight ok**

(08:49): **too bad that i cant be there to make sure you get fucking wasted tonight (** **◕** **︿** **◕** **✿** **)**

(08:49): _I’m sixteen._

(08:50): **and ur point is????**

(08:50): _Touché._

(08:50): **hahahaha**

(08:50): **ooops ok lemme text u again later cause i need to shower before class rn like real quick**

(08:50): **i smell like booze n desperation**

(08:50): _Okay. Have a good day in class._

(08:50): **byeeee (*** **￣з￣** **)**

 

 

 

>

Kakashi smiles and closes the app, placing the phone back into his pocket.

He sighs contently as he cuddles Pakkun firmly in his arms and closes his eyes, listening to the faint sounds of traffic and bustling coming from outside and his father’s low baritone voice bullying poor Yoshida-san into getting a reservation for dinner.

Life was good.

 

 

 

>

_"Kakashi…”_

_Minato lowered the copy-nin’s unconscious body gently onto the floor, trying his best to filter out the screams of his dying comrades in the background. The floor was tinted red with the spilt blood of the fallen and the smell of death penetrated despite his best efforts not to breathe from the nose._

_He knew it was a matter of time before Obito came for him, too._

_And there was only one way to make sure he could ensure Kakashi had a fighting chance, to end this madness, to make Obito see reason. They had already lost so much... in the face of such overwhelming power they had struggled to prevail, but fate had not been on their side._

_Nevertheless, despite the monstrosity his once innocent student had become, from the bottom of his gut, he was sure, Obito would not kill Kakashi._ _Could not kill Kakashi._

_The blonde readied the seal and put away the brush, pressing his hands together to commence the ritual._

_“Don’t worry, Kakashi. I’ll watch over you. That's a promise.”_

_He formed the signs, eyes staring resolutely at his student’s face, feeling the Jyubi Jinchūriki's overpowering presence nearing their forms._

_Quickly…! Quickly!_

_“Fūinjutsu! Spirit Seal!”_


	2. Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi makes his way to Tokyo, alone. He meets some new friends and gets dragged off to a party, drinks some booze, regrets it. Gai is the friendly, eccentric sports fanatic who goes around adopting lost sheep, Kurenai's the interfering big sis Kakashi needs to ease out of his reclusive habits and Asuma is just smooth as fuck. 
> 
> Now I wonder who the fella with that weird lookin' orange mask could be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Underaged drinking!  
> Do note that this chapter has been edited to match the new writing style I've adopted in chapter three. Hope this didn't cause any confusion!

>

The hustle and bustle of Tokyo Station rattle his nerves to no end.

He is glad he had chosen to wear his medical mask (still recovering from that bad cold) (dry coughing sucked), there are so many scents wafting from different places and people it is literally making his head spin.

Kakashi sighs and wobbles along as he heaves his heavy luggage down the stairs and curses his luck under his breath. Of _course,_ the escalator just _had_ to be undergoing maintenance on his moving day. Not only that but his father had been unable to accompany him on his journey towards his new school (much to Sakumo’s frustration), having been called in by the military for an urgent consultation on their latest arms demonstration.

It was just as well, he supposed. Getting used to living alone would be strange after being surrounded by his loving _Tou-san_ and their ten dogs all his life, but he would have to make do.

He hails down a taxi with ease, the kind lady in the queue before him taking pity on his furious battle with his luggage and allowing him to go first. Securing his baggage in the boot of the vehicle, he slams the back door shut and just about collapses onto the comfortable backseat, feeling his arms burn at the strain. 

“Where to, _bocchan?_ ”

“Tokyo University, please,” Kakashi replies politely and pulls out his phone to provide the rest of the directions.

As the cab driving through the city, he gazes out the window and marvels at how it was similar and yet so different from his hometown.

Living in Osaka had been slightly quieter, the only areas near their home plagued with touristy crowds being Dōtonbori and Shinsaibashi. Kakashi and his father reside about twenty minutes away from the bay area, in a pleasant residential district where the houses are a decent size, comfortably housing their makeshift family.

He fondly remembers the times his father had brought him to the Kaiyukan (one of the finest aquariums in the world) and they would eat hotplate hamburger steaks for lunch and watch the sunset over the water while eating soft-serve ice cream.

As the car turns away from the central business district, Kakashi plugs in his headphones and leans back for a little nap.

 

 

 

 

>

_“Ne, Kakashi-kun?”_

_“What is it?” He looks up from his scrolls, annoyed at being disturbed. They are in a concrete room and the walls are painted a light grey. Loud chatter can be heard from the room next door, probably filled with rambunctious brats._

_“What’s your favourite food?” The girl asks shyly, shuffling her feet and tucking brown strands of hair behind her ear shyly._

_Before Kakashi can reply, a firm hand jerks his shoulder backwards and nearly causes him to fall. Scowling, he turns around and takes in the boy's irate, jealous face and wants to laugh at the way those dumb orange goggles are fogging up with tears (crybaby)._

_“BAKAKASHI!”_

 

 

 

>

“Excuse me, _bocchan?_ ”

Kakashi jolts awake, staring at a gloved hand on his shoulder. 

He offers the driver a smile through his mask and apologises, removing the man’s hand gently away from his person.

“I’m terribly sorry. I must have been more tired than I thought.” Kakashi says stiffly and rolls his shoulders. There is going to be a crick in his neck later, he just knows it.

“Oh no, that’s perfectly fine, _bocchan_. Happens all the time. Anyway, we’ve arrived,” The driver points to the outside of the window with a gloved hand. “Would you like some assistance with your baggage?”

“That’s fine,” Kakashi says, handing him exact change for the fare. “Please open the boot. Thank you.”

The driver does as he requests and Kakashi battles with his luggage, finally getting it out and propping it on the ground with some prejudice. He adjusts the strap of his backpack on his shoulder and checks that his phone, wallet and passport are in place.

Watching the car drive away, Kakashi steels himself, turning around to take in the sight of his new home for the next three years. The familiar sound of loud chatter coming from surrounding students grates on his fragile nerves, and he struggles to suppress bad memories of his previous school days.

He tugs at his mask, secretly wishing he had a paper bag to cover his whole head instead.

Gripping his luggage tightly in hand, Kakashi wheels it along and keeps his chin in the air and his gaze straight ahead, avoiding all eye-contact with the curious glances being thrown his way. It _was_ understandable, him being a good foot shorter than most of them (he was only sixteen, damnit!) (he still had tons of growing to do) and sporting an unusual hair colour, along with his oversized luggage.

“ _Heads up!_ ”

Kakashi fails to react in time and doesn't dodge the incoming projectile, taking a frisbee straight to the face.

He emits a grunt in surprise and staggers backwards, falling onto his butt with the grace of an elephant trying to ice skate and winces at the pain.

Kakashi groans and clutches his now smarting cheek and glares furiously up at the culprit, who had come running up to him, footsteps crunching the grass. Squinting up at the figure against the rays of the late morning sun, he does a big double-take at a pair of _very_ thick eyebrows and a set of perfectly white (almost _blindingly_ so) teeth.

And was that a fucking bowl-cut? Unbelievable.

“ _Warui,_ my good man! It seems as though my enthusiasm for discus throwing has unfortunately affected your hip and cool vibe!” The guy winks and gives him a thumbs-up which makes him cringe and die a little on the inside. He's so positively upbeat, Kakashi feels exhausted already. 

“Damn it, Gai-kun! Nobody calls it that! Its _frisbee_ , you know. _Frisbee!_ ” Another voice (why did people have to be so loud?) booms from behind him.

Kakashi slowly pushes himself off the ground, ignoring bowl-cut's outstretched hand to assist him.

Red hair spills into view and an eager, overly enthusiastic face leans in a little too close, her grin full of teeth. Kakashi backtracks instinctively, uncomfortable with the stranger's close proximity (the more distance between him and them, the better chance he had of sprinting away if they lunged) (he learnt this the hard way).

“Are you okay, _dattebane?_ ”

“I’m fine. Just a little surprised.” Kakashi says, trying his best not to let the irritation show in his voice. Being a recluse who mostly stayed at home when not in school, Kakashi does not deal well in human relations beyond the strictly necessary. His unique friendship with Anko (who was widely feared across the entire student body of their old middle school) is a testament to that.

“You lost or something?” The redhead asks, placing her hands on her hips. “What’s a little kid like you doing near the dorms?”

Kakashi scowls. “No, I’m not _lost_. I’m looking for Dormitory Hall A. My name is Hatake Kakashi and I’m a new student here.”

The other two exchange glances, a look of surprise evident on their faces.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” The redhead sputters while scratching the back of her head sheepishly. “I’ve heard of you, _dattebane!_ You’re the new genius kid on the Director’s List, _ne?_ My name is Uzumaki Kushina and I’m in charge of the martial arts club! I’m also one of the professors teaching sports science… heard a lot of good things about you from the admissions board, Kakashi-kun!”

Ah. She's a professor. _Odd how she chose to mention her club before her profession_ , he thinks as he forces himself to smile, holding out his hand instinctively, his father's lessons on formal etiquette drilled permanently into his brain.

“It’s good to meet you, Kushina-sensei.”

They shake hands and the man (Gai, his name was apparently), watches this exchange with a big smile.

“Oh, a _genius_ , huh! The power of youth never ceases to amaze me,” He says, placing a fist over his heart. “We’re so glad to have you here, Kakashi! Welcome to Tokyo University!”

“Thank you…” Kakashi begins and is interrupted by bowl-cut's loud, dramatic gasp.

“Oh, that’s right! I've not introduced myself! Call me Might Gai—that’s GAI! Spelt ** _G-A-I, GAI!!!_** ”

Kakashi winces at the volume and lurches violently as his arm is seized and throttled in a wild up and down maneuverer. Was this the weirdo’s idea of a handshake?

“ _Ne_ , you said you were heading to Dormitory A, right?” Kushina asks, a devious smile on her lips. “Why don’t you show him the way there, Gai? I’m sure he could use some help moving into his new home, _dattebane_! We’ve got to show some good hospitality here!”

Kakashi screams internally and wishes now more than ever that  _Tou-san_ was here to diffuse the energy and attention directed at him. Gai, however, seems overjoyed by her suggestion and his chest puffs up proudly, like he's been tasked with a grand quest of glory.

“Of course! I’d love to help you, Kakashi! We’ve all settled in last week and you’re one of the latecomers but have no fear! I shall gladly assist you in your journey—”

“T-That’s fine, I think I’ll be able to find it myself…”

“NONSENSE! This could be the beginning of a _new and youthful friendship_ that will last throughout our days here, Kakashi!” Gai declares, and without waiting for further acknowledgement he grabs onto his monstrous luggage and easily lifts the entire thing onto his shoulder (Kakashi is impressed).

“Let’s go!”

Gai begins walking in the direction of the aforementioned dormitory and Kakashi has no choice but to follow. He bows politely goodbye to Kushina, who smiles pleasantly and waves back, a knowing look in her eyes.

“Have fun, _dattebane_!”

 

 

 

 

>

Setting down the suitcase with a loud thud, Gai stretches his arms, muscles bulging underneath his green shirt (Kakashi is slightly envious).

The man gives Kakashi a bright smile. “All done! I hope I’ve helped you, Kakashi. Accept this as my apology for throwing a frisbee in your face!” He says (demanded?), crossing his arms triumphantly.

“Yes… thank you, Gai-san.” Kakashi says and places his green backpack on the ground next to his new desk.

It is a cosy room that looks only a few square feet smaller than the one he had at home. Luckily for him, _Tou-san_ had insisted on paying for a solo room so his son would not have to share with a stranger. He understood his son’s introverted nature more than anyone and being a consultant to the military (and a recognised national hero) did wonders for their family bank account, so Kakashi was able to accept his father’s gift without much guilt.

He would be paying back all the money spent on his education here the moment he set up shop anyway. Let _Tou-san_ spoil him before he became a proper adult.

“This room is beautiful, Kakashi. You have an excellent view of the quad and your even own bathroom. I’ve unfortunately had to share with another person a year above us, he was quite shocked by my overwhelming wardrobe at first, but we managed to come to an agreement—”

“ _Ah!_ Well, jeez, look at the time,” Kakashi pretends to examine his watch. “I’d better get started with unpacking if I want to grab lunch anytime soon so…” He looks up at Gai, waiting for him to take the hint.

He doesn't, and they stare at each other in awkward silence. Kakashi feels his patience wearing thin and swears he's beginning to develop a twitch in his eye, not even a full day into his new life in Tokyo.

Finally, Gai jumps up and pounds his fist lightly on the palm of his hand in realisation. “ _Oh!_ I see what you mean, Kakashi.” Gai gives Kakashi another blinding smile (did he bleach his teeth or what?) “I’ll be back with some lunch and reinforcements!”

Then he proceeds to burst out the doorway, nearly bowling over a passing student who yells angrily at his rapidly disappearing green-clad back.

Kakashi sighs, steeling himself for the inevitable.

Goodbye, peace and quiet. So long, solitude. It was nice knowing you.

He cracks his neck and begins to unzip his luggage, taking out his hangers first and beginning to put away his clothing in the roomy wardrobe. He had successfully put away all of his clothing (and underwear) by the time Gai came bursting back into the room (no small feat), this time flanked by two other people.

There is a very pretty woman, with long wavy black hair and… were those _red_ contact lenses? She has applied a nice shade of purple eyeshadow and burgundy lipstick which complements her complexion beautifully. Her outfit (a long-sleeved, red crop top with skinny jeans) shows off her hourglass figure and if Kakashi had any semblance of being attracted to women (or anybody, really), he's sure he would be ogling. 

The other person is a man, who towers over them (he had to be 190cm at least), with rippling muscles and a stubbled chin, the smell of cigarettes wafting from his leather jacket as he moves forward. He has dark brown eyes and a strong chin; a lazy smile stretches across his thin lips as his searching gaze meets Kakashi’s.

“I’m have returned!” Gai declares loudly.

“…I can see that” Kakashi groans and rubs his arm nervously, turning to face the newcomers. “Hi, there. I’m sorry if he dragged you here,” Kakashi throws an annoyed glare in Gai’s direction, which goes unnoticed as the latter drifts over to the window, rambling on about fresh breezes and how wonderful it was for the youthful spirit.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. That’s just Gai’s way of showing he cares,” The man replies cooly and holds out a large hand which Kakashi takes. “I’m Sarutobi Asuma. Gai told us all about his _youthful_ new friend on the way here. Nice to meet you, Kakashi.”

“Likewise,” Kakashi is more than pleased, a small smile on his face. Finally, some normal people! He turns to the woman next and she returns his shy smile with a wink.

“Hello, Kakashi-kun! My name’s Kurenai Yuhi... I hope Gai didn’t scare you _too_ much. He can be a little excitable, but he’s a great friend to have.” She assures him and he can't help but feel this is a practised thing for them. It's kind of cute though, and Kakashi doesn't say anything to prevent coming off condescending.

“Nice to meet you, Kurenai-san. And yeah, I figured,” He points at Gai’s figure, who is currently leaning out of the window and observing the view with enthusiasm while hollering at passers-by below. “He seems cool enough.” Kakashi deadpans and hopes nobody will complain.

Asuma and Kurenai laugh (oh wow, did he just tell a joke?) and the vibe in the air turns relaxed.  

“That’s good to hear! Now, let’s eat! Gai said you’ve yet to have lunch?” Kurenai asks, holding out a plastic bag filled with some onigiri, a variety of cup noodles and other snacks.

Kakashi is about to open his mouth to protest but Kurenai stops him, holding up a manicured hand.

“I insist, Kakashi-kun. We know how scary your first day on campus can be, and we’d really like to get to know you better now that Gai’s adopted you into our little friend clique.” She explains as she unloads the items onto his empty desk. “There’s no escaping it!”

Asuma flops onto his bed without permission and pats the spot next to him for Kakashi to sit. Kurenai begins digging in the cabinets, looking for the utensils and kettle and Gai helps her, both of them disappearing into the bathroom. They begin chatting loudly (well mostly Gai) about who will find the kettle first, the green-clad man wanting to make a competition out of it.

Kakashi slowly takes his seat on the bed, feeling a lot less tense than he had at the beginning of their meeting.

These people seemed nice; if not a little forward (maybe this was a Tokyo thing?). It reminds him of how he and Anko became friends.

She had flung herself into the chair next to his on his second day of school and (loudly) asked if his pubic hair really was silver, much to his mortification. After a week of embarrassing glares thrown her way whenever they passed by in the hall, Kakashi having to move between junior and senior classes (thanks to him being in the _genius_ integrated programme) they had finally gotten to know each other after she rescued his sorry ass from two older kids who had been attempting to lock him in the broom closet.

They soon became best friends and nearly inseparable, despite being in different grades, until Kakashi’s speedy graduation from middle school a year later. _Speaking of which…_ Kakashi takes out his phone, checking for messages. There were none so far, _Tou-san_ was probably still in the meeting and Anko in class.

“Expecting someone?” Asuma asks casually.

Kakashi shakes his head.

“No, just checking. _Tou-san_ had an important obligation at work he couldn’t escape, so I came by myself.” The teen replied. “He was worried, but it’s no big deal.”

Asuma raises his eyebrows, then flops back onto the bouncy mattress with a sigh, the shift in weight causing the teen to stiffen a little for balance.

“I get what you mean. My old man’s really busy with work and the company so he doesn’t really have the time to do family stuff like this either,” Asuma sounds slightly bitter. “You get used to it though.”

“Yeah,” Kakashi tactfully decides not to correct Asuma, that his father _always_ made time for him and his problem was more of the opposite. Sakumo smothered him every chance he got, which resulted in Kakashi having no friends (besides Anko) and living a reclusive lifestyle (he didn’t mind it, though) (kids were dumb).

After all, he was an only child _and_ the only remaining legacy of both _Tou-san_ and his _Kaa-san_.

The boys continue to wait in peace until Kurenai finally finds the kettle (before Gai, much to his utter disappointment) (in himself) and sets the water to boil.

“Instant food is great and all on your busy days, but we usually prefer to eat at the cafeteria, or off-campus, occasionally,” Kurenai explains, leaning forward with her phone in hand. “We’d take you there, but it’s not open until Monday. Why don’t you add us on LINE and tag along with our group once the term starts?”

“Sure, that’d be great,” Kakashi replies quickly and thankfully for the generous invitation, taking the phone from her and adding in his LINE handle, then doing the same for Asuma and Gai.

Noodles cooked and onigiri unwrapped, the four of them began to eat and chat.

Kakashi learns that Kurenai is studying under the school’s commercial law programme while Asuma is in the advanced economics course. Gai is a sports science student, which explains how he knows Kushina-sensei and why he had been playing frisbee in the courtyard before lunchtime (“It was an experiment to test the potential of human reflexes!”).

They are all sophomores, having already been attending Tokyo University for about a year and provide Kakashi with a ton of excellent insight into the social environment of the school, which he deeply appreciates.

Ending their makeshift lunch on a good note and Kakashi seeing his new friends ( _friends!_ ) out the door, the silver-haired teen leaps onto his bed, relieved to be alone once more.

Socialising was _exhausting_.

Making new friends was a foreign concept to him. After all, he had been bullied and ridiculed nearly his entire student life for always being the youngest, the _baby_ , in the classroom. He rubs the still slightly smarting spot where Gai’s frisbee had nailed him in the face, but this time, with a hopeful smile.

“Friends… huh?” He whispers to himself, gazing up at the ceiling.

 

 

 

>

Hours later, he finally finishes unpacking.

The sun has gone down and Kakashi wrestles his suitcase into the storage area just next to the wardrobe, feeling a sense of accomplishment wash over him.

He heads to his desk, clearing his throat painfully as he pours out his prescribed cough syrup. _Tou-san_ had insisted on getting him a new bottle from the local clinic before leaving home, as a precaution. He quickly swallows the spoonful, wincing at the overly sweet taste and quickly following it with some warm water.

Feeling his phone vibrate, he slips the device out of his pocket and sits in his chair, reading the new message from Anko.

 

>>>  
FRIDAY, APRIL 19TH

-

(19:23): **hey how was moving day?**

(19:23): _It was fine. Met some people. They were nice._

(19:23): **oooh**

(19:23): **are they hot**

(19:23): _You need to cool it._

(19:23): **so thats a yes then**

(19:23): **cmon i wanna know the deets**

(19:23): _So, it all started when I was clobbered in the face. With a frisbee. Thrown by this guy with a bowl-cut. Overall, a very wholesome experience._

(19:23): **wtf**

(19:23): **thats one way to start a conversation**

(19:24): _Tell me about it. He was nice, though. Apologised and helped me carry my luggage to my room._

(19:24): _I was unpacking, and he dragged two more of his friends over. They brought me food._

(19:24): _We talked for a bit and they seemed pretty nice. They added me to their LINE chat and also invited me to have lunch with them once the term starts._

(19:24): **fuck they brought u food thats the epitome of friendship right there**  

(19:24): **but** **tbh tho**

(19:24): **im happy to hear that u made new friends**

(19:24): **u really need to have someone covering ur dumb ass in school while im away** **（⌒▽⌒）**

 

There is a quick series of gentle knocks on his door.

Kakashi looks up from his phone, mildly alarmed.

Who could that be?

 

(19:25): _Hold on for a mo. There’s someone here._

(19:26): **sure**

 

Getting up from the bed (now fitted with freshly laundered, white cotton sheets), Kakashi places his phone down and slips his paper mask back on. 

He walks over and opens his door cautiously.

“Hi, Kakashi-kun!” Kurenai wriggles her manicured fingers at him. “I’m here to collect you! We’re having a rooftop party tonight with a few friends and you absolutely _have_ to be there.” She has changed into a stylish red dress accompanied by a fur jacket and her face is perfectly painted with trendy makeup. 

“Uh, what, right now?” Kakashi asks, a little stunned. 

“Yes, _now_ ,” She says admonishingly. “I came to help you get dressed before meeting the rest of the gang—first impressions count!” She glides past him, stepping into his room which was now decorated and clean. She hums approvingly at his taste and flops onto the rolling chair, turning her excited gaze back to him.

Clearly, she was not leaving until he was dressed and ready to go.

Kakashi shudders at the thought. Parties. _College parties_. He had heard rumours about them from Anko, but he never expected to actually be invited to one. They were told to be sleazy, noisy things filled with drunk idiots and horny perverts and it always ended badly.

“… Are you sure I can’t just sit this one out? I’m feeling a little tired from unpacking and my throat is acting up.” He tries.

“ _C’ mon_ , Kakashi-kun, you’ll have all weekend to rest! This is the first social event of the school year and as your new friend, I definitely can’t allow you to be alone tonight when we’re all having fun.” She explains, giving him an earnest smile and the best puppy eyes she can muster.

Kakashi stares back and after a moment he sighs, crossing his arms.

Well, she _did_ say it was just _a few_ friends.

Maybe it would be okay. And it definitely wouldn’t hurt to expand his social circle a little more.

It was amazing to not instantly turn into the default target of bullying (for once).

“Okay, _okay_ , I’ll go,” He concedes defeat, giving her an exasperated look. “I don’t really have anything to wear, though.”

“Let me be the judge of that!” She clasps her hands together gleefully, eyes sparkling in undisguised enthusiasm. “Why don’t you go ahead and take a quick shower while I pick out your outfit? Do you have a hairdryer?”

“Yes, I do have one,” Kakashi says, a little alarmed at the hurried way she had flung open his closet and started digging. Girls were _scary_.

“Great! This is going to be so much fun!”

Kakashi gives her a stiff smile, picking up his phone again to reply Anko.

 

(19:29): _So, apparently, I’ve just been invited to a party. Text you later?_

(19:29): **oh fuck yes**

(19:29): **its started**

(19:29): **live life while ur young**

(19:29): **own it**

(19:30): **get wasted**

(19:30): **get LAID**

(19:30): _Okay, okay, I get it!_

(19:30): **°˖** **✧◝** **(** **⁰** **▿** **⁰** **)** **◜** **✧** **˖°**

 

Kakashi then proceeds to shut himself in the bathroom, taking a warm shower and scrubbing his skin until it turns light pink.

He hears a knock on the door and towels off, opening the door a crack for Kurenai to pass him his approved and vetted outfit for the evening. Changing into the new clothes, Kakashi slips on a new face mask for the evening (he didn't want to spread his germs everywhere) and steps out of the bathroom, allowing Kurenai to work her magic.

 

 

 

> 

Thirty minutes later, the duo stand at the entrance to the terrace before a set of glass double doors.  

“I don’t see how this constitutes _a few friends_ ,” Kakashi grumbles, feeling betrayed. He tugs uncomfortably on the sleeve of his warm, beige woollen sweater. The top was accompanied with light blue skinny jeans and a trusty pair of Timberland boots he'd purchased last month.

Aside from styling his hair, Kurenai had even insisted on him applying a little lip balm ("It’s cold out! Do you  _want_ your lips to crack?”). It smelt like cherry, and he smacks his lips under the mask, tongue darting out to taste the flavour.

Kurenai shushes his complaints and gives him a little playful nudge as they cross the threshold. The two of them step onto the deck together and Kakashi felt his cheeks warming as the people gathered closest to the door go silent, giving them (mostly him) curious looks.

“Ah, _Kakashi_ , my youthful companion!” A loud voice bellows, announcing Gai’s arrival as he jogs over to them wearing a bottle-green  _jumpsuit_ with _orange leg warmers_ , much to Kakashi’s mortification (maybe Kurenai should have helped Gai get dressed instead). “You made it! Would you like a tour? Some refreshments? How about a game of ping pong?”  

“Uh, I’m fine, thanks,” Kakashi skirts backwards while trying to ignore the amused laughter from the people around them. Thankfully though, they seem already used to his shenanigans and resume their own respective conversations.  

Oh boy, and he thought _Tou-san_ had been embarrassing. Kakashi mentally apologises to his father for ever doubting him.

“Stop crowding him, Gai,” Asuma calls out, his hands tucked in the pockets of his jacket as he approaches. “You’re just making him nervous.”

Gai makes a disagreeing grunt and crosses his arms, his face twisting into a displeased pout.

“There’s nothing to be nervous about! I was merely trying to be welcoming—”

Asuma sighs and tilts his head back in exasperation as Gai begins a speech on the benefits of friendship and comradery, edging closer to the silver-haired teen. He leans in to whisper to Kakashi, soft enough so that Gai wouldn't hear.

“Give it a week or two and he’ll calm down. He tends to get _extra_ pumped whenever he meets someone new,” Asuma clarifies. Leaning back up to his full height, he throws Kakashi a suave smile. “Also, glad to see you made it.”

“Thanks,” Kakashi gives him an appreciative smile from behind the mask. “Good to see you too.”

An unspoken bond had formed between them, in the face of Gai’s antics and Kurenai giggles as she observes them warmly. 

A loud, feminine squeal erupts as Kurenai is spotted by her friends. She waves to them (“Later boys!”) and heads over, kitten heels making clacking noises against the polished wood. The girls are seated on a large green couch by the railing, their table already well-supplied with wine, snacks and all chattering loudly as a soft low-fi beat plays in the background.

A few of the male students hover nearby, giving each other unsubtle glances as if daring each other to be the first to approach.

The sky is clear, and the temperature chilly but manageable. It was lucky that the wind died down, so Kakashi is able to make do with just his woollen top. _At least it’s a turtleneck_ , he thinks, the tip of his chin brushing against the fuzzy material which feels warm and comforting.

Chairs and folding tables are littered across the wooden flooring, presenting pizza, chips, chicken wings and punch that the older students dug into with vigour. Streamers and balloons decorated the railing while bottles of alcohol were scattered haphazardly. There had to be at least _forty_ people here (it wasn’t even _nine_ yet), with a couple of new arrivals showing up after himself.

Kakashi reminded himself never to trust Kurenai’s description of crowd-sizes ever again.

He feels a large hand steering him in the direction of a group of guys sitting at the end of the roof, lounging with boxes of half-eaten pizza strewn about. The four of them look up curiously as Asuma and Kakashi approach, Gai following closely behind (having tactfully ceased his elaborate speech).

“Hey, you guys! Who’s the newbie?”

Before Asuma is able to reply, another person cuts in.

“Aw, _shit_ , didn’t know you were into kids, ‘ _Suma_!” A man with light-blue hair teases, giving Kakashi a slimy smile. His face burns at the obviously biting tone.

He _feels_ Asuma tense behind him and wonders if it had really been a good idea to come. Maybe he should have just stayed in his room. This was a mistake. What was he thinking coming to a party filled with people so much older than him and nothing in common with?

Before Kakashi can continue on his train of self-loathing thought, there is a comforting squeeze on his shoulder. “Shut _up_ , asshole,” Asuma snaps and aims a kick in the man’s direction. He takes comfort in the fact that while dodging, the man had managed to spill his beer all over the front of his shirt.

Instant karma, he supposed.

“Everyone, this is Kakashi. He’s going to be in the veterinary programme start of term,” Asuma announces and they all sit down. “Play nice.”

“Nice to meet you all,” Kakashi respectfully bows his head to his seniors. The others gave him smiles and nods of acknowledgement, with the exception of the blue-haired man from earlier. He is leaning against the railing, directly opposite where Kakashi is seated with an unpleasant look on his face. Kakashi ignores this.

Gai settles down Kakashi’s left, crossing his legs with his back ramrod straight and giving them all his signature blinding smile.

“Kakashi here is our newest, _youthful_ addition to this wonderful group of friends. Please introduce yourselves one by one so he may learn your names!” He instructs.

The teen chokes, resisting the urge to fling himself off the balcony as he is simultaneously scrutinised from head to toe by the upperclassmen.

The man with spiky black hair sitting on Kakashi’s opposite left goes first. “My name is Kotetsu Hagane—from economics, same as Asuma,” He reaches out a hand for him to shake. A band-aid is stretched across the bridge of his nose and a goatee that had been trimmed very neatly into a perfect rectangle sits on his chin.

It suited him. They shake hands amicably.

“Wow, dude. Your hand is like _ice_.” Kotetsu remarks dryly.

“I have poor blood circulation in my hands and feet,” Kakashi replies with a shrug. “Nice to meet you, Kotetsu-san.”

The group continued, without incident. There was Koganei with brown hair and glasses, from the robotics department and Takeda from the theatre and fine arts school, who had dyed bright green hair that clashed loudly with orange jumper he wore (“You look like a splendid, healthy carrot today, Takeda! Such fashion and positive artistry!”) (“ _Arghhh, shut the fuck up!_ ”).

Finally, it was _his_ turn—man who had so casually managed to offend Kakashi upon the first three seconds of their first encounter. Kakashi could nearly see the waves of tension between him and Asuma. The others didn’t seem very fond of him either.

“Mizuki. Just, Mizuki,” The blue-haired man says curtly, grabbing Kakashi’s hand in a grip that felt more than a little  _too_ tight.

Kakashi squeezed back firmly, unimpressed, remembering his father's lessons on asserting himself through applying the appropriate pressure when encountering a new business associate. It was a show of confidence and a good way to gauge someone’s personality.

He made to let go, but Mizuki held on, giving Kakashi the same intense leer as earlier which made him feel almost naked.

It was terribly uncomfortable, and everyone could see it.

“Cut that shit out, Mizuki,” Asuma snaps and angrily lights up a cigarette, brown eyes now openly _glaring_ in the blue-haired man’s direction. “Let him go. _Now_.”

Mizuki releases Kakashi's hand almost carelessly, throwing the smoker a dirty look. Asuma breathes out a plume of smoke in response, unshaken. Kakashi hopes that he will one day assert himself in a confrontation with the same amount of calm his new friend does.

“ _Whatever_. This is no fun, I’m going to see what the ladies are up to,” Mizuki eventually sighs and gives them a mock salute, getting up and walking over to where Kurenai is seated with her friends (much to her displeasure). Kakashi doesn't hold back an amused snort as he sees her dramatic eye-roll at his presence.

Turning back to the circle, he and the rest of the group sigh in relief as the tension all but dissipates into nothing.

“Wow, those were some _seriously_ bad vibes,” Kotetsu declares and takes a long sip of his beer. “Who invited him, anyway?”

“Pretty sure he invited himself. Bound to happen when you’ve got friends who can't say no.” Asuma grunts and gives Gai a pointed look. The latter whistles a nervous tune and keeps his gaze in the opposite direction. As they begin bickering amicably, Takeda smirks as he sneakily records them on his phone, probably to post on Snapchat.

Kakashi chuckles and feels the stiffness leave his shoulders at their humorous antics. It had barely been ten minutes into the party but with Mizuki gone, he feels a lot more at ease with this group. They had been nothing but friendly to him and it was a wonderful, welcome change from the way he had been targeted and excluded by his schoolmates during middle and high school.

Takeda gives Kakashi a knowing smile once Asuma and Gai cease their pointless argument as he stows his phone away and then turns to the rest of the group.

“ _Now,_ we can drink in peace,” He lifts his beer into the air, giving them smug look as he downs the whole thing in one go. “Ah, _delicious!_ Here, you guys have some too.”

He shoves the mini cooler towards them. Gai immediately takes a bottle and makes a show out of trying to get the bottle cap off with his teeth, Takeda and Koganei cheering him on.

As Kakashi himself reaches for a bottle, Asuma catches his slim wrist in his hand and leans in slightly.

“I don’t want to be _that_ guy, but aren’t you a little too young to be drinking?”

Kakashi feels himself bristle at irritation the comment. God, when would people stop treating him like a _baby?_

“I’ve been drinking wine and sake since I was _fourteen_ , at home with my dad and sometimes outside in restaurants,” Kakashi explains confidently, sliding his hand out of his friend’s grip. “I’m pretty sure I can handle a couple of beers.”

Asuma whistles low, holding his hands up in mock surrender with an eyebrow raised.

“Well damn, Kakashi. Sure thing—knock yourself out.”

The others look up as Kakashi smoothly pops the cap off with the bottle opener, lowering his mask under his chin to take a swig and exposing the rest of his face.

He hears a collective inhale, which he ignores as he feels the icy-cold drink slide down his throat, leaving behind a slightly bitter aftertaste. It tasted watery and cheap, nothing like the alcohol he had tasted before in the past. He was used to fine wines, sake, brandy and whatever assortment of bottled alcohol behind closed doors his father allowed him to try (in small amounts on special occasions, of course) (just a little bit of beer was still nothing compared to that).

Placing his bottle down, he looks up at the seniors who are quite openly staring at him, Asuma and Gai included.

“… What? Is there something on my face?” He asks, confused.

Asuma coughs loudly while Gai nearly chokes on his drink, thumping his chest with vigour. Koganei, Kotetsu and Takeda exchange glances. They all looked sheepish as if caught doing something they shouldn’t have.

Once again, Kotetsu was the first to speak up.

“ _Cute_ ,” He says, grinning. “I like your mole.”

“You mean my _beauty mark_ ,” Kakashi says (ignoring the first comment) with a smirk of his own. “But thanks.”  

Both of them clink bottles, and everyone bursts out into laughter.

A while later, after some probing from the others, Kakashi launches into the tale of how Gai and himself had met (“I said I was _sorry_ , Kakashi!”) much to the latter's mortification. Asuma stubs out his cigarette and tosses it into a nearby makeshift ashtray, leaning back on his palms.

He watches Kakashi’s now relaxed demeanour and smiles.

 

 

 

>

Time passes as the group continue their mindless chatter, a few people coming and going from their little circle.

Kakashi wisely sits out a game of truth or dare, which ends up with Gai having to do push-ups over Kotetsu (who’s expression somehow reminded Kakashi of Pakkun during bath time), _shirtless_.

Kurenai had popped by with her friends, who all made comments on how _cute_ Kakashi was and how beauty marks were the next big beauty trend (“It’s like a little target to kiss, _ne?_ ”). They then proceeded to thrust their phones into Kakashi’s nervous hands to exchange LINE handles and also gathered for a group selfie, the girls making kissy faces at him which caused a few of the surrounding guys to scowl at Kakashi enviously.

The more drinks he downed, the more people began to show up.

Previously chill music had now been replaced with a thumping EDM beat that turned the centre of the deck into a dance floor. People were yelling and jumping around noisily and Kakashi wondered who exactly had gotten the clearance from the faculty to hold a party without any form of staff supervision on campus. College really was a whole new world.

Suddenly feeling the urgent need to pee (god, his bladder was _bursting_ ), Kakashi stands and blanches as his vision spins and feels a wave of dizziness hit.

Checking his watch, Kakashi realises with a shock that _three hours_ had already passed. Where had the time gone? Him losing track of time coupled with slight nausea he felt, along with the fuzzy vision and fatigue... Kakashi blearily realises with a start that he is **drunk**.

At least, what he _thought_ being drunk felt like. He had never been drunk before in his life, obviously.

 _Tou-san_ would be **furious**  if he ever found out.

Excusing himself from the group, Kakashi quickly makes his way to the exit, struggling to maintain his sober facade. As he nears the glass double doors, he squints harshly as he spots a lone man leaning against the wall, illuminated by the weak glow of the green exit sign.

Kakashi feels like his gaze is almost magnetically drawn to him. To this man. 

He is tall (perhaps just a little shorter than Asuma) with broad-shoulders and dressed in a tight, long-sleeved black shirt which shows off defined biceps. There is a very punk-looking coil of black chains hanging off his belt. Kakashi notices how his hands are wrapped up in a pair of leather gloves and his shoes a scuffed up black combat boots.

The thing that stuck out the most about him, however, was the bright, swirling _orange_ mask that covered his whole face—with the exception of a single eyehole that revealed nothing in the dim lighting.

The man seemed to be—no... he _was_ looking _right at him_.

Feeling the intensity of his gaze sent uneasy chills down Kakashi's spine. Talk about creepy. Kakashi swallowed thickly, his drunk brain unsure of whether to confront the man (what the hell was his problem, anyway?)

As he came to the front of the glass doors, however, the man chose to remain stationary and the teen sighed in relief, lifting the handle and pointedly avoid looking in the man’s direction until he was through the doors and down the stairs to the next lowest level.

He forces his legs onwards and nearly stumbles over the last step, catching the handrail and just barely saving himself from face-planting onto the hard cement. He finally exits the stairwell, panting heavily after rushing out of there like a bat out of hell.

Hopefully, he didn't run into that weird man again.

Kakashi feels his bladder give a painful twinge and blearily refocuses his drunk brain back onto the urgent task at hand. After turning into a few dead ends and cursing the overcomplicated layout of the corridors, he finally sees the sign advertising the washrooms.

It is then that Kakashi feels the bile coming up his throat and quickly dashes into the nearest cubicle, ripping off his mask and proceeding to empty the contents of his stomach into the bowl.

 _What the hell?_ How on earth had he gotten so wasted over just  _beer?_ And why the hell was he so sluggish? It was a chore getting his limbs to move, almost as though they were being weighed down. These angry thoughts run through his mind as he wrinkles his nose in disgust at the foul taste of vomit and his lack of control.

After he finishes puking (stomach and throat both feeling like they were on fire) he remembers the cough syrup he had ingested before Kurenai arrived at his door.

Kakashi smacks his hand onto his forehead, unable to believe the extent of his carelessness.

If there was one thing to _never_ be done, it was mixing medicines and alcohol. And like the over-eager idiot he was, he had forgotten that simple fact and _barely_ avoided making a mess out of himself at a party filled with people. Thinking about what could have happened made him feel slightly faint.

Never had he been so thankful for his incessant urge to pee. Thank you, bladder!

Kakashi spits out the last of the bile and flushes the toilet, leaving the stall to go rinse his mouth in the sink. The sudden movement disorientates him. His head spins and he clutches the sink in an iron grip, desperately trying to maintain his balance. He wanted nothing more than to get back to his room and crawl into bed (after a long, relaxing bath).

There is a playful knock on the bathroom door which signals the arrival of another person.

“When I told you to knock yourself out, I didn’t mean it _literally_ ,” An amused voice teases.

Kakashi turns, his cheeks burning with embarrassment as he sees Asuma (who is giving him an I-told-you-so kind of look) (smug bastard).

“ _Shut up_ ,” Kakashi groans, washing his hands and splashing water over his face in an attempt to sober up. “I’m fine. I’m not normally this much of a lightweight, I _swear_.”

“Hey, nothing wrong with that. If anything, being a lightweight just means it costs you less to have a good time.” The taller shrugs.

“Point taken.” 

Kakashi makes to take a step towards his friend but instantly feels the world spin. He curses loudly as he feels his knees buckle and his body tilting towards the floor.

A pair of strong arms smoothly catch him before he lands and suddenly, he is being swept up towards a warm chest which smells like cigarettes and faintly of booze. Asuma laughs loudly as Kakashi freezes like a startled cat and blearily tries to wriggle free. The taller adjusts his arms and his hold on Kakashi's legs, steadying him.

“Put me _down!"_  Is Kakashi's coherent response as he is promptly carried out of the bathroom and down the corridor.

Oh god, he hoped nobody ever found out about this. He would never hear the end of it if they did. Like his scratchy, mid-way through puberty voice and still lacklustre height didn't offer bullies enough bait.

“ _Uh huh,_ ” Asuma is unconvinced. “You don’t have to put up a front with me, Kakashi. I won’t tell anyone—but at least let me send you back to your room. You’ve had way more than enough partying tonight.”

Kakashi goes still as he eyes the sincere expression on the smoker's face.

“You _swear?_ ”

“I swear on my honour as a man.” The taller winks playfully.

Kakashi snorts and eventually relaxes into Asuma’s hold, leaning his head back against his shoulder. He feels strong arms adjust around his body as he is carried towards the nearest elevator. His eyelids gradually get heavier, the effects of exhaustion coupled with alcohol poisoning taking over his body, along with the cough medication.

“Go to sleep, Kakashi,” Asuma says.

The latter steps into the elevator (careful not to bump Kakashi's head against the door) (which Kakashi is grateful for) and presses the 'close' button with his foot. Kakashi sleepily turns his gaze back out into the hallway as the doors slowly slide shut.

A bright, swirling orange mask is the last thing he sees before he allows himself to drift off into slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always thought Kakashi liked Obito, who liked Rin, who liked Kakashi. Don't you think so? In my personal opinion I don't think Kakashi could have fallen for Rin as she didn't really do anything special to earn his romantic affections in canon (no hate! Ship what you love!) but instead, fallen for Obito who changed his entire way of life and inspired his nindo. Or maybe I'm just overthinking things with my yaoi fangirl goggles on HAHAHA
> 
> Hope you liked this and see you next chapter!


	3. Conundrum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi meets the man of his dreams.

>

_"Ne, Bakakashi, what do you think of this?”_

_The boy with the orange goggles shoves something in his face and Kakashi raises his eyebrows, leaning away from the object intruding into his personal space._

_He’s holding a menu for the café their at, which is famous for their mochi and dango desserts. Sighing, Kakashi pushes the paper away from his face roughly and leans back into the comfortable seat, giving his teammate a degrading look._

_“I don’t like sweet food.”_

_A large, warm hand covers his head to ruffle his fluffy silver locks and Kakashi feels his face morphing into a scowl of annoyance._

_“Come on, Kakashi,” The handsome blonde chides gently, giving him a knowing smile. “Be nice! It’s his birthday, after all.”_

_Looking back at the black-haired boy now obsessing over the variety of dango and flavours available with their brunette teammate, Kakashi notices the way the boy blushes at something she says and begins scratching the back of his head sheepishly._

_He feels a pang of something awful twisting in his gut and looks away._

 

 

 

> 

Kakashi wakes up, feeling confused and exhausted with a strong taste of metal on his tongue.

What the _hell?_ Has someone been jumping on his brain?

The memories of last night’s party came rushing back to him and he feels slightly mortified at the way he'd lost control. Groaning, Kakashi lifts himself up from his mattress and feels his head throbbing furiously as a punishment for neglectful dehydration.

He spies the cup of water left on his nightstand and makes a mental note to thank Asuma for sending him back to his room.

Downing the entire glass in one go, Kakashi gets up and heads to the bathroom for a hot shower and gets dressed in the most comfortable pair of sweatpants he owns and flops straight back onto the bed, intending to sleep away the rest of his hangover.

Checking his phone briefly for texts, he is amused to find two from Anko bugging him for details about last night and then feels a stab of guilt when he sees the _eleven missed calls_ from his father.

Pressing the call button over his parent's name, Kakashi holds the phone to his ear and winces when the dial tone ends almost immediately, his father’s frantic voice ringing in his ear.

“ **Kakashi**! Oh _thank god_ , why haven’t you been answering my calls?!” Sakumo demands furiously. His voice is cracky and agitated and Kakashi knows how badly his father must have worried, probably waiting up late into the night for him to answer. He misses him terribly along with their dogs and resolves to never do this again.

“I’m sorry, _Tou-san_. I was with some of my upperclassmen at a student gathering last night and accidentally left my phone in the room.” He wisely chooses not to mention the nature of this ‘student gathering’ and leaves out the part where he gets so drunk that he pukes and eventually has to be carried back to bed. 

The rest of the conversation is Sakumo nagging at him about responsibility and the need for clear and constant parent-child communication (probably read that in a parenting book somewhere). Kakashi hums in agreement at all the appropriate times and doesn’t talk back, too exhausted and guilty to defend himself.

It is thirty minutes later when Sakumo finally hangs up the phone after getting Kakashi to promise to always keep his phone with him at _all times_ in case of emergencies, and he sighs in relief, allowing himself to slip back into dreamland.

 

 

  

> 

The rest of the weekend passes by in a lazy blur (watching Netflix alone in his room and Skyping with Anko) ( _ah_ , sweet peace and tranquillity) and before he knows it, Kakashi is standing at the entrance of the lecture hall, ready for the official start of his university life.

Walking in, he eyes an empty seat at the last and highest row and mentally claims it as his own. Ignoring the glances thrown his way as he passes by his course mates, Kakashi flops onto the wooden bench and opens his laptop, preparing a blank document to take notes. His teacher arrives and they are briefed on the term's modules and expectations, along with the big assignments and projects that will make up for most of their grades. 

His class is pleasant and uneventful, and Kakashi even spies one of the girls he’d met at the party last week who had been hanging out with Kurenai. Her name is Hana Inuzuka and she is from Saitama and her family runs a large animal shelter that takes in strays and helps them, eventually setting the animals up for adoption in the hopes of finding a new loving home. It is an admirable cause which Kakashi supports with all his heart.

Hana is nice and they make plans to group together for any future partner projects—she has no qualms about his age and acknowledges his academic prowess without blinking an eye. It is amazing and Kakashi is incredibly grateful to have found a friend within his own course which will undoubtedly make his university life a lot easier. 

After the lecture ends and they’ve gone their separate ways, Kakashi receives a message on his phone from Kurenai telling him to meet them at the campus cafeteria for lunch together.

 

 

 

>

The cafeteria is essentially a whole building by itself, with long tables to accommodate the large student body and a luxurious dessert and salad bar which is open from morning till ten at night. The walls are painted a flawless white with huge windows lining the space, giving its patrons a wonderful view of the beautiful trees and greenery of the eco-garden beyond. Soft low-fi music plays through the speakers and gives the place a futuristic, chill vibe that Kakashi likes.

“Kakashi! Over here!” Gai hollers and enthusiastically waves him over to their bench which is nearest to the large window at the end of the buzzing cafeteria.

Quickly purchasing his food from one of the lesser crowded stalls (a bento box which contained a heavy serving of fish, eggs and eggplant) Kakashi heads over to his friends and slides into the seat next to the green-clad sports maniac with a smile.

Asuma and Kurenai are happy to see him and after some brief teasing about how quickly Kakashi had tapped out of the party ("Looks like we'd better bring along some apple juice to the next party, huh?") ("Poor Kakashi-kun! No more alcohol for you!") they begin talking about classes, new professors and hot new campus gossip.

Kakashi listens gleefully as Kurenai tells them about how Mizuki had gotten so drunk he'd tripped and ripped his pants wide open in front of the entire group last Friday. The man had left soon after. He wished someone would have recorded it so he could see and that is the only regret Kakashi has about leaving the party early. 

The conversation abruptly takes a different turn when Kurenai spies someone she seems to recognise and nearly chokes on her tomato salad. Asuma pats her on the back soothingly and asks her what's wrong and gets his collar grabbed excitedly in return.

“Oh my god,” She subtly points her painted finger in the direction of the cafeteria doors. “It’s _him_. Look!”

Kakashi looks at where she’s pointing.

And then he tries not to faint.

There, standing in front of the huge glass doors is a man dressed in a tight black muscle tee and ripped jeans. He’s tall with broad shoulders, rippling muscles and his shirt hugs his biceps in a way that makes the girls around him double take with undisguised interest. Some even giggle. 

He has short, layered black hair which is gelled slightly in a very careless wind-swept way but what's most eye-catching of all is his flawless and aristocratically handsome face. A large gym bag is thrown over his shoulder and he makes his way through the aisles of chattering students (some looking up with interest and admiration as he passes) towards an empty table, sitting down alone.

Kakashi is frozen, unable to move or respond even as Kurenai starts excitedly telling everyone at the table about that _new hottie freshman_ who’s enrolled in the philosophy course and with an Instagram account of more than twenty-thousand followers. He's apparently a model of some kind and some of the girls around the cafeteria seem to realise this as well and begin tittering excitedly as they throw the man wistful glances.

Asuma gets upset and demands to know _what’s so great about him, anyway?_ And crosses his arms defensively when Kurenai teases him about being jealous. Gai just declares that their new schoolmate looks to be someone worthy of a match and asks (loudly) if he should walk over and invite him to sit with them. To which, Kurenai vehemently protests because _he looks like he doesn’t want to be disturbed_ , Kurenai says, blushing and Asuma grumbles to himself, obviously upset at the way she seems to be completely taken with a stranger.

Throughout all this, Kakashi is still frozen because that man is the boy from his dreams.

He is **sure** of it.

The same black-haired, grinning and carefree idiot he constantly meets in his sleep who always seems to be yelling at him or fumbling over something stupid. Kakashi isn’t able to remember all the details at a hundred per cent clarity, but he’s been dreaming about this boy for years and he’ll be damned if he can’t remember his face.

Even if the man sitting by his lonesome across the cafeteria looks to be older and a bit more grown-up than the person in his sleep, he would recognise that face anywhere in an instant. Kakashi has no doubt about it and shivers at the unsettling feeling in his gut. 

The man's name pops into his mind and Kakashi surprises himself at the revelation.

“Obito…” The name slips past his lips softly, almost in reflex and his friends pause, giving Kakashi an odd look ("Huh? What was that?")("Burrito? What about a burrito?"). Before any of them can ask what he meant, Kakashi feels himself getting up from his seat, almost in a trance as he makes his way across the room towards his target.

He hears Kurenai call out urgently to him but ignores her and continues walking.

Kakashi stops in front of the table where _Obito_ is seated and feels himself shake uncontrollably as a pair of dark eyes turn his way, filled with curiosity. He wants to say something, wants to ask questions, but his body isn’t obeying him and Kakashi almost feels like a ghost inhabiting a robot, somebody else controlling his actions and movements like a puppet.

“ _Obito_ ,” He finally manages to choke out and sees the other man jump in surprise. “Your name’s Obito Uchiha, right?”

“Uh, yeah,” The man says slowly, giving Kakashi a cautious glance. “Do I know you?”

His stiff and wary body language makes the teen feel like a bucket of ice had been dumped on his head as Kakashi jerks back to reality, realising that he’d approached a complete stranger, _somehow_ knowing said stranger's name and basically approached him in a very confrontational way before the entire cafeteria. 

Kakashi feels himself cringe awkwardly, unsure of what to say and how to react in this kind of situation. _What the hell was wrong with him?_ Just because this guy looked like the boy in his dreams didn’t mean that _he_ would recognise Kakashi! _Stupid, **stupid** idiot!_ He internally and desperately wished the floor would swallow him up.

He hears the people around them start to whisper and gossip at his weird actions and considers high-tailing the  _fuck_ out of there when he feels a warm and comforting hand closing around his shoulder.

“Hey man,” Asuma interjects, instantly deflating the tense atmosphere and giving Obito a lazy wave. “Nice to meet you. We were talking about asking you to join us for lunch and Kakashi here decided to take the initiative.”

Asuma lifts his arm and gestures over to their table where Gai is currently giving the three of them a confident thumbs-up and Kurenai has her hands over her mouth in surprise. She recovers quickly and plays along, giving Obito a nervous wave and a friendly smile.

Kakashi could have _kissed_ Asuma.

Thank  _Kami_ for friends. Particularly, really smooth and smooth-operator friends that bail you out of awkward situations. Now he owed Asuma twice over and briefly wondered if perhaps buying him an entire carton of cigarettes was a good idea for a thank you gift (or perhaps an unhealthy one?) (he'd have to ask Anko about this later).

Obito eyes them for a brief moment and then, _thankfully_ , gives them both a friendly smile. 

“Sure, I’d love to,” He concludes and gets up, slinging the large duffel bag around his shoulder and holding his food in one hand, mobile in another.

Kakashi takes the lead and walks back to their table (a little wobbly) with Asuma’s hand still firmly clutching his shoulder in support as he ignores the looks the other busybody students are throwing their way and quickly slides back into his seat next to Gai. 

Asuma returns to his seat next to Kurenai opposite them while Obito, in turn, takes the chair next to his (which does  _not_ bother Kakashi at all, nope siree!) and gives the rest of the group polite greetings and introductions. Kakashi inhales and catches a whiff of deodorant coming off of Obito's body and finds it surprisingly pleasant. 

Obito casually shakes hands (in Gai's case, a fistbump) with all of them as they return his greetings one by one and the Uchiha thanks them (throwing a warm glance at Kakashi as he does) for inviting him to their table. He had apparently not been able to catch any of his new classmates for lunch as he had overslept and been forced to stay behind with his professor after class for an extensive lecture on punctuality. 

When it is his turn to introduce himself, Kakashi feels himself pinking under the attention (being pale sucked sometimes) and allows Obito to grip his hand in a firm handshake (a rough palm and strong fingers) and manages to convey his name.

“Hatake Kakashi,” He says and Kakashi wishes he had kept his mask on. Wearing it during the duration of his cold made him realise how nice it was to keep his face hidden. It was like... social protection. “Nice to meet you.”

Obito smiles at him in return and takes in his appearance unabashedly now that they've been introduced, staring intently at his face. And then cocks his head, curiously. Obito lowers his arm but does not let go of Kakashi's hand, choosing inside to keep their hands entwined. 

“ _Ne_ , don’t take this personally Kakashi—but how old are you?”

Kakashi feels his palms turn clammy with sweat at both the question and attention and eases his hand out of Obito’s hold, turning back to his bento box in an attempt to hide his face. Something about Obito's glance made him feel uneasy. It looked way too familiar and Kakashi briefly remembered the boy from his dreams, clad in those stupid orange goggles and wondered why his heart was aching. 

“I’m sixteen.” Is his curt response and Obito hums contemplatively, turning away and giving the rest of the group a bright smile as they switch topics and begin to discuss to quality of the cafeteria's food.

Kakashi finishes the rest of his meal in silence and is content with simply listening to the group’s conversations. Kurenai requests for Obito’s LINE handle (much like how she’d invited him into their group as well) and Gai demands to know his workout regime, praising his 'splendid built' and 'youthful musculature' (Kakashi resists the urge to spit his rice all over the table and watches as Asuma and Kurenai repress their snickers). The look on Obito's face is hilarious. 

It turns out that their newest acquaintance is on the school’s baseball team and Asuma perks up immediately at the mention of sports and reintroduces himself as a member of Tokyo U's basketball team. The two of them enthusiastically launch into a full-blown discussion about organised team sports (ignoring Gai's protests that martial arts are better), the new season and the various teams they’ll be up against.

The rest of lunch passes without any further incident and Obito soon excuses himself from the table, needing to get to his next class. Kakashi stands as well, about to throw his bento into the trash and head to his practical lab when he feels a hand closing around his forearm.

“Which way are you headed, Kakashi?” Obito asks warmly and Kakashi feels his insides turn to mush at that smile.

“Um, southern wing,” He replies and Obito’s smile grows wider, looking pleased.

“I’ll walk with you—my tutorial’s in the same building as well.”

Departing from the rest of the group with the promise to meet up again tomorrow for lunch, Kakashi and Obito head across the lawn towards their classes in companionable silence.

On the inside, however, Kakashi feels like his heart might explode. The big question at the forefront of his mind.

**How had he known Obito’s name?**

It certainly didn’t have anything to do with the so-called social clout Obito had that Kurenai had been talking about nor had he heard the name Obito ever before in his sixteen years. This _couldn’t_ be a coincidence. There had to be some kind of logical explanation.

Kakashi is snatched out of his thoughts by the feeling of strong arms closing around his waist, lifting him into the air as he _narrowly_ avoided stepping right into the small pond on the quad which was filled with _koi_ fish. He looks into Obito’s eyes, stunned. 

His brain quickly registers that he's being held against Obito's strong and muscular chest and he feels his cheeks heat up furiously (getting a permanent mask was sounding like a wonderful idea).

Obito merely laughs and sets Kakashi down safely on the grass.

“You’re kind of a klutz, huh?” Obito teases (and Kakashi realises how this is the second time since the start of his college life that he’d been rescued and lifted into someone’s arms) (like some kind of fucking **damsel** ), a big grin on his face as he shoves Kakashi playfully, nudging them back on track.

The teen is furious with embarrassment at being manhandled and shoves Obito right back. “Shut up, _baka!_ ”

“Hah! You’re the _baka_ here, _Bakakashi!_ Oh hey—that's kinda like a pun, huh?” Obito chuckles and looks very pleased with himself at the discovery.

There it was, **that nickname**. The exact same one that the Obito in his dreams uses. Kakashi clenches his fists as he wills himself to stay silent and not throw wild accusations that would certainly make him sound like a crazed fool. Obito Uchiha’s appearance in his life couldn’t have been a coincidence and he was sure there was a bigger mystery to the whole picture.

Kakashi _would_ find out the truth.

Even if it killed him.


End file.
